Holding instrument



m 1939' L.H. REINEKE HOLDING INSTRUMENT Filed Oct. 15, 1936 Attyax- Patented June 6, 1939 HOLDING INSTRUMENT Lester H. Reineke, New Haven, Conn; dedicated to the free 7 States i v use of'the People of the United Application October 15, 1936, Serial No. 105,800

4Claims. (01. 88-40) t (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended- April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) plate and the other guide to the second plate.

I This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of Aprilv 30, 1928, and the invention. herein described, if patented, may be manufactured and used by. or

for the Government for'governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty therethereon. i

I hereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of the public in the terri- 10, tory of the United Statesof America totake effect upon the granting of a patent to me.

This invention relates to means whereby increment cores (cylindrical cores of woodof small diameter and variable length, extracted from trees with a hollow auger of special design. by

boring radially into'the tree trunk'and perpendicularly to its long axis) may be held without breaking while cutting'twofiat faces parallel to the axis of the core and perpendicular to the grain of the wood, reducing the thickness of the increment core toreduce its opacity tfo, light, and transmitting light'through the core while held in the device, to render discernible forco'unting and measuring, growth rings which are indiscernible by reflected light because of the character of the wood.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing in 'which- Figure 1 is a topplan view of the device; Figure 2 is a section through AA of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device; Figure 4 is an end view thereof; and Figure 5 is a view in. isometric perspective of the device with a modified form of microscope and illuminating means attached thereto.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The invention consists in an arrangement of two plates I and 2 of a thickness less than and 40 preferably A to 7 the diameter of the core 3 to be used in the device, the thickness of the plates to equal the thicknes to which the core is to be reduced, said plates suitably constrained by loop guides 4 to move with their surfaces in the 5 same plane with respect to each other, with edges 5 and I5 constrained by taper guides 1 within the loop guides 4, and tapered edges 8 of plate I, or other suitable means to move parallel to each other, forming a gap of variable width, preferably from to I times the diameter of themcrement cores to be used. Plate 2 is rigidly secured at the ends thereof within loop guides 4 while plate I is adapted to move frictionally within loop guides 4. The latter construction may be 55 altered of course by securing one guide to one Either asembly is equally effective.

Edges 5 and 6 are provided with grooves 9 or other suitable means for positioning the core centrally with equal amounts of the core projecting beyond each surface of plates I and 2, and for preventing bending, twisting, or rotating of the core during subsequent manipulation, and one edge 5 of plate I is provided with a stop II] against which one end of the core abuts, said stop preventing sliding of the core as a cutting edge is drawn toward it when removing the projecting portions of the core. Plate I bearing stop Ill may be graduated along edge 5 with a suitable scale I3 or scales on either or both surfaces of plate I beginning at stop I0. The device may be equipped with a magnifying glass II so mounted as tobe infocus with the surface of plates I and 2, centered over the gap between edges 5 and 6, movable over the length of the device and. removable therefrom to avoid interference with the operation of the cutting edge when cutting the faces of the core. The device may be equipped also witha light source I2 attached to and moving with the magnifying glass support on the side of plates l and 2 opposite to that of the magnifying glass and so arranged that its light will be directed to the magnifier through the core in the gap between edges 5 and 6. As used by me the light source is supported in the above prescribed position on the plates I and 2 by a paraboloidal shell or housing I4 which serves as a support to the'light source and also acts as arefiector. The magnifying glass is supported in the above prescribed position by the tubular member I5 which also serves as a hood to shield the core 3 from extraneous light. As indicated above, the magnifying glass and light source should be movable over the length of the device and removable therefrom. While this may be accomplished in any convenient way without departing from the spirit of the invention, I accomplish this object in the manner disclosed in the drawing by attaching the shell I4 to the tubular member I5 at a point adjacent to the outside longitudinal edge of plate I by means of guide member IS, the inwardly extending arms of which frictionally engage both sides of plate I. The member I4 is attached to the bottom of the channel member I6 and the member I5 is attached to the top of the channel member It by any suitable means. The ht source I2 is positioned within shell I4 in alignment with the core 3 when the core is confined between plates I and 2. The magnifying glass II is positioned within the tubular member I5 in focus with the increment core space. The inner edges of shell l4 and tubular member 15, not attached to each other as above indicated, are in sliding contact with the adjacent surfaces of plateal and 2. .Saidlight sourcemayextend the fulljlength of the device as shown in Figure 5. In this figure an elongated source of light I1 is carried within a housing 18. Said housing, instead of being secured to the channel l6, extends the full length of the device an'dT-i't isfiimovably attached thereto by olipslfl, lfi securedm I to the ends of said housing. l8, -'said clips'clamp- '1ceive' andncrement' core and one of the edges ing over the guides 4, 4, s'ubstantiallyes shown.

In operation, plates l and 2 are placed in the position of maximum gap betwn'edges 5'andilfi;i the core is placed within the gap withpnerend against stop It, with the grain of the wood per and 2'? and withf'equal amounts of the core projecting beyondach'sur pendicular to plates I face of. plates l andi. Edgesfiandli are then made toappr'oach each other. through the" action of taper guides '1 and tapered edges, ,8 .whenplate' l is, moved in. the appropriate. direction through guides 4,. .thus .holding'the. ,core between edges 5 and 6'...1Edg es 5 and 6 should not, exert excessive pressure. on.core., 3' as. such excess pressure .will resist-sliding. of core.3,.thereby inducinglocalized' tensilestr'esses in the core behindthe cutting edgairesulting in..breakage-Yof the. core. The

compression-stresses in advance of. the cutting. edge do not damage the core and are absorbed bystop .10.. Thegrooves-9 in edges}, and 6 straighten. andcenter the core'3 so .that said core projects equally beyond both surfaces of plates I and 2,.and the lip'sof grooves S out intothe core sufiicientlyto prevent rotation oi the core during the cutting operation; ,The projecting portions of the c'oreare then removed with'a knife orlother suitable tool drawn toward stop 10, reduci'nglthe thickness of .thecoreto that "of" plates l, and 2. Light is-thenltransmitted through-the core from asuitabl'e light sourceil2 and the jannualgrowth rings may be examined, counted, Q or im'easu'red with .the sc'ale'along edge 5, using magnifier. ll, if desired. By .transmitted light; growth rings Which .are not discernible by. reflected .light' become visible distinctly. f p r Having fully disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the characterdesoribed. compris inga pair of flat plates positioned longitudinally parallel and adjacent to each other, edge to edge, in the same plane, the plates having coextensive ing a pair of plates positioned longitudinally parallel and adjacent to each other, edge to edge, .iiintheisame' plane, the plates having coextensive grooves along said adjacent edges adapted to rehaving a stop against which said increment core may abut, plate guides inclosing the plates and rlgidlyattachedsto 'one of said plates adjustably to maintain said plates in such plane and taper guides'within the plate guides to control the outward movement of the other plate, said last mentioned platehaving tapered sections to conform o. e a er uide i J A devicei f the character" described comr n 5a. pi irjpi pl es os ne udinal y parallel and adjacent to each other, edge to edge, in'thesame ane; the l s n coextensive gre ves, alongsaid'adjacent edges adapted to receive an increment core and one of the edges having astop against which said incrementcoremay abut,,p1ate guides inclosing theiplatesand rigidly attached toeither ofisaidjplates to maintain said plates adjustably in such plane and taper guides within the plate guides to control the separating i'ngwlement of the plates, .said plates having tapered sections to conform to the taper guides. AQA' device comprising a pair of plate-like thickness gauges and cutter. guidesurfaces position'ed longitudinally parallel and in adjustable proximity to jeachiother, edgeto' edge, in the same plane, the plates having coextensive grooves alongsaid'jadjacent edges, means adjustably to maintain the plates in thesame planeand means to. controltheseprating r novement of the plates from eachother, said plates to support andjguide an'iintermittently applied cutting edge and regulateto predetermineddimension the limit of cutting thereby, adjustable tubular and shell means on oppositesides 0f the surfaces of the plates and supported'therebyiand in .alinement with a line betweenfs'aidv grooved edges, a magnifying glass and; lightsour'ce positionedwithin said adjustable tubular and shell means,.respectively.

' LESTER; REINEKE. 

